How to Reel in Fish: Easiest Techniques for Anglers

One of the major questions I have seen on the fishing forums is “How to reel in fish”. Of course, it is fair to laugh at the question, but from my experience in fishing, I can certainly say, most people do not perfectly know how. I mean, they can throw the bait and can catch fishes with the reel. But to be honest, perfection rather than mare luck is what I am talking about.

And, perfecting the reeling, you should have some experiences with fishing. With those and my super simple tips, catching a fish can only grow to one direction, and that is perfection.

Can you remember what a fish does after falling into the trap of bait? The reaction of a fish after feeling a hook is to be free from the hook. It struggles to be free. And to do so, it jumps, swimming back to long away, circle around and etc.

You will get different reactions from different fishes. And the types of fishing are bit different one to another. The smaller fishes react differently and it easier to catch them. Reeling in fish may not very easy if it is a bigger fish but not so difficult either. And with my help, I think it will get easier with any types of fishing.

Understand How to Fight a Fish

What is so exciting in fishing? It’s the thrill of waiting and concentrating on something. And when the times comes, you will feel a small to strong pull on the line. The first learning of fishing is to feel the pull. If you the hard pull on the line it means it is a big fish.

Larger fishes pull stronger and harder than the smaller fishes. They will give a stronger shock and try to go deeper with the bait. As I have said before, it is more difficult to reel in the bigger fishes. And when they pull strong, you have to be careful.

Phase 1: Don’t Panic

I know it is very exciting if a fish catch the bait. You were so eagerly waiting for it, and now you want to reel in and pick it up. Well, wait there. Understand the whole scenario, the size of the fish and its position.

And yes, do not panic while fish is ticking your line. The drag and rod will do the job for you. Just relax and hold the rod straight towards the fish at a 45 degrees angle to the water. No matter if you are on a trolling motor and how the battery of the motor doing, you need to focus.

Give it sometimes to let the fish loose its strength a bit. Wait for the drag to stop bumbling and moving before reeling in.

Phase 2: Pump and Reel

As I have said, you should reel in after the fish slows down. You will understand when the fish will stop dragging the line from your reel. Let the fish tire. After losing the strength, the fish will calm down and it will be a lot easier to drag it. Also, take a proper position while fishing to be safe.

This can be called as “push and pull” technique. It is a great technique to reel in a larger fish. That means pump and reel the line while reeling in the fish. This is the perfect ways you can understand how to fight a fish that is bigger in size.

Phase 3: Lift Up the Rod

Now it is the time to lift the fish up. Where this is easy at it seems, but you also use some techniques to do it perfectly. First, lift the rod at a 90 degrees angle to the water without reeling in the fish. You may have seen the soldiers hold their three-knot three rifles when they march.

Follow the angle-position. Bigger and stronger fishes often put a huge pressure on the rod and bend the rod. So, it is safer to lift up the rod skywards. If you are using proper fishing reels and rods you shouldn’t worry about the rod bending. This is natural and normal when a bigger fish caught.

Phase 4: Lower the Rod Again

When you catch a big fish, you can nearly hear your heartbeat, if you are new into this hobby. But, after a while, you will learn to play it and can enjoy fishing with the ultimate relaxation. You will know how to do it in a repeated manner.

You can do it without thinking about the steps too much – they come naturally.

So far, you’ve lifted your fishing rod up to the skywards at a 90 degrees angle to the water. Now you just need to lower the rod top at the water to release some pressure. To be exact, lower the rod back to the 45 degrees position and reel in. Thus you keep a constant pressure on the fish.

Do not get anxious when doing this process. Some situations like if the weather is not right or you are on a kayak with drowning trolling battery, you can get nervous. But still, you need to focus on the reel, if you are planning to stay bit longer.

Phase 5: Repeat Reel in Fish Process

The whole process of “reel in fish” is one of the most exciting moments of mine without a doubt. It is the time you are getting the prize, you have waited for, and now you so close that you do not want to lose it. So, you can easily lose concentration thinking it too much, and in the process and lose the fish.

So, the idea is to enjoy the moment the repeat the whole process of “Reel in Fish” without thinking it too much. Catching a fish is not so difficult – the whole process is simple. You just have to be relaxed and keep patient, and yes repeat the whole Reel in fish process. So, the final phase is to repeat all the four phases above respectively and reel in the fish.

Last Few Words

A good angler knows how to feel a fish when they take the bait. He can easily tell the size of the fish, without seeing a bit. The pressure on the lure say its size the types of fish. However, learning these may need some experience and time. And the best way to reel in fish it to have the proper experience.

With telling that, my tips will also help you to learn it fast. And, I hope above article will help you with your reeling in the problem. Practice the phases, again and again, to master and enjoy fishing.

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